There was more pruning over at Ascent/St. Thomas Energy this week, leaving the city’s utility pared back to the bone.
A release issued Thursday announced Alltrade Industrial Contractors Inc. of Cambridge, Ont., had acquired Ascent Utility Solutions for an undisclosed amount.
This small division of Ascent dealt with traffic and streetlights in the Greater Toronto Area and employed four or five non-union staff and any union staff were retained through a union hiring hall, according to Ascent acting CEO Rob Kent.
Alltrade operates in numerous sectors including automotive, food and beverage, manufacturing and its energy group works within the renewable energy sector, solar, water and wind and within the power and utilities sector.
The transaction does not include St. Thomas Energy, the local distribution company owned by the city and Ascent Energy Services which deals in fibre optics and provides IT services in the city. Continue reading
Tag Archives: St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital
Imposed salary cap, hey we can dance around that
No disrespect to the hospital’s vice-president, but you can bet Nancy Whitmore was anything but the first choice to replace out-going president and CEO Paul Collins who exits on Oct. 31.
Whitmore will take over the helm in November, but the hospital board of directors did not hire healthcare recruitment firm The MedFall Group only to have them say look from within.
Back in March of this year we talked to board chair Melanie Taylor who asserted the hunt for a new president and CEO would be far-reaching.
“We’re looking to retain the best possible talent who could come from someplace other than southwestern Ontario,” advised Taylor. Continue reading
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St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital board of governors: a bastion of integrity, honesty and transparency
After steadfastly refusing last week to allow us access to St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital board of governors chairwoman Melanie Taylor, a change of heart – sort of – this week.
To recap, Coun. Linda Stevenson – the city’s representative on the board of governors – has tendered her resignation over allegations Taylor is attempting to circumvent a CEO salary cap imposed on STEGH and all hospitals in the province in order to make the position more “competitive.”
STEGH administrators won’t cut Taylor loose to respond to Stevenson, instead we are in receipt of a carefully crafted statement from Cathy Crane, vice-chair, on behalf of the STEGH board of governors. Continue reading
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Why is STEGH shielding board of governors chairperson Melanie Taylor?
Six years after the infamous Paul Collins retire/rehire shuffle, administrators at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital find themselves at the centre of another CEO controversy.
Coun. Linda Stevenson – the city’s representative on the board of governors – has tendered her resignation over allegations board chairman Melanie Taylor is attempting to circumvent a CEO salary cap imposed on STEGH and all hospitals in the province in order to make the position more “competitive.”
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, according to Stevenson, who would like the ministry of health to come in and review the practices of the board of governors. Continue reading
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Latest STEGH cuts no example of patient-centred care
The latest cuts at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, which will see the lights turned out at the sleep clinic on Oct. 3, is nothing short of a bad dream for the former director of the lab.
Calling the decision to pull the plug on a clinic that saw 940 patients last year “misguided”, Dr. Charles George has sent an open letter to all members of the St. Thomas Elgin Medical Association urging them to make their concerns known.
A copy of Dr. George’s letter was sent our way anonymously in a plain, white envelope.
He notes the sleep clinic opened in the mid-1990s under the direction of Dr. Linda O’Fiara. When she departed for Montreal, Dr. George and Dr. Kathy Ferguson stepped in because, “at the time the clinic was generating revenue for the hospital and the patient volume was increasing.” Continue reading
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City’s negotiations on Valleyview labour deal deemed ‘bizarre’ and ‘ludicrous’
It’s a case of “inefficiency, it’s disrespectful to the employees and it’s going to cost the city a fortune.”
Not a flattering assessment of labour negotiations between the city and Valleyview Home employees, represented by Unifor Local 27.
In fact, Unifor national representative Robert Buchanan calls the turn of events since May 25 when a settlement was reached with city administration both “bizarre” and “ludicrous.”
To recap, on June 8 about 100 City of St. Thomas employees at Valleyview voted in favour of the May 25 settlement.
The three-year deal provides for a two per cent wage increase in each year of the deal in addition to health and welfare benefit improvements.
The employees have been without a contract since Dec. 31 of last year.
The union’s bargaining team also secured a commitment from the city to maintain full-time jobs and add more staffing hours to the laundry department.
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St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital CEO bowing out on a high note
No backroom wheeling and dealing this time around. When his five-year contract expires in October, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital president and CEO Paul Collins is holding true to his word.
No contract extension – step aside and make way for a new hand at the helm.
“As I announced five years ago when we negotiated the contract, that would be my last and we’re sticking to the plan,” Collins insisted.
Not that he is necessarily bidding farewell to the world he loves.
In a lengthy conversation earlier this month, Collins spoke frankly of the future.
No contract extension – step aside and make way for a new hand at the helm.
“As I announced five years ago when we negotiated the contract, that would be my last and we’re sticking to the plan,” Collins insisted.
Not that he is necessarily bidding farewell to the world he loves.
In a lengthy conversation earlier this month, Collins spoke frankly of the future.
“I think I still have something to offer in health care. I have a great passion for this work. Who knows what opportunity will present itself. Leave the options open.”
And what words of wisdom will he pass on to the incoming CEO?
“The first thing I would say is they are very fortunate to come into a great community that has tremendous generosity. And they’ve shown it not to just this hospital, but to a lot of other agencies.
And what words of wisdom will he pass on to the incoming CEO?
“The first thing I would say is they are very fortunate to come into a great community that has tremendous generosity. And they’ve shown it not to just this hospital, but to a lot of other agencies.
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FTE numbers a ‘slippery slope downward’ at STEGH
They were initially announced two weeks ago and after badgering by the Times-Journal, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital administration is finally being a little more upfront on the extent of measures needed to overcome a $1 million budget shortfall for 2016/17.Early in February it was announced as many as four full-time jobs could be cut but as many as 11 positions could be impacted through early retirement and attrition.
Hospital president and CEO Paul Collins stressed at the time the job losses won’t directly affect patient care.
How is that possible? Everything the hospital does revolves around patient care. What else is it in business for?
After all, STEGH’s mission statement promises “To deliver an excellent patient care experience . . .”
Notably absent from early discussions with the hospital was any mention of closing the outpatient lab and reducing its gastric diagnostic imaging services from four days a week to two, resulting in reduced part-time hours for medical radiology technologists.
That only surfaced when T-J reporter Jennifer Bieman — acting on information provided by an OPSEU representative — pressed hospital administration for further details on the cutbacks.
That’s the front-page story in the Feb. 20 edition of the T-J.
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STEGH job cuts revive that old two-step episode
A week of mixed blessings over at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. On Tuesday, Times-Journal reporter Jennifer Bieman wrote at length on its new role as a District Stroke Centre.
But it comes at a price as the facility will be reducing the number of registered nurses in the Continuing Care Centre by up to three but hiring more registered practical nurses and personal support workers to staff the unit.
At week’s end, we hear of more cuts at STEGH in order to meet a $1 million shortfall in their operating budget for 2016.
That can only mean more cuts, according to CEO Paul Collins. In this case up to another four staffers, although administrators are staying tight lipped at this point as to which departments will be impacted.
But it comes at a price as the facility will be reducing the number of registered nurses in the Continuing Care Centre by up to three but hiring more registered practical nurses and personal support workers to staff the unit.
At week’s end, we hear of more cuts at STEGH in order to meet a $1 million shortfall in their operating budget for 2016.
That can only mean more cuts, according to CEO Paul Collins. In this case up to another four staffers, although administrators are staying tight lipped at this point as to which departments will be impacted.
